Neko-ma Christmas
by 67OtakuGirl24X3
Summary: As seen on my AO3: Kuroo and Kenma want to get each other the perfect gift for their first Christmas as a couple.


Christmas break meant a variety of things for the boys of Karasuno and Nekoma. For them in particular, there was the freedom from tedious daily volleyball practice and long-awaited time for relaxation; and of course there were also the traditional cookies and cocoa, holiday movies, lights and ornaments, alone time with their significant other… But it also came with a certain obligation: deciding what to buy said significant other for Christmas.

Tetsurou Kuroo and Kozume Kenma had been friends for years. However, it wasn't until the prior summer that they decided to be something a little more, and so this would be their first Christmas as a _couple_. Consequently, it was of utmost importance that they make it special. And to make it special, it was necessary to buy the perfect gift for each other. One would think that after growing up together, figuring out something that would make the other happy would come easily…

Well, finding the perfect gift was apparently easier said than done.

Ideally, they could simply ask each other what they wanted. But, communication wasn't exactly one of the stronger components of their relationship. Besides: it seemed to both of them that the element of surprise would make the gift so much more worthwhile. So, at a loss, they each turned to a good friend for suggestions.

"Man, just one week left till Christmas, huh?"

"Mm."

Kuroo had invited himself over Kei Tsukishima's house. At the moment, Kuroo was straddling Tsukishima's wheeled computer chair while Tsukishima lounged on his bed, flipping through a magazine and trying to pretend the Nekoma boy wasn't there. Kuroo decided to ignore his clear standoffishness. Propping his elbows on the back of the chair and perching his chin on the backs of his hands, he continued the conversation.

"Sooo," he prodded with a smirk, "got anything in mind for Freckles?"

Tsukishima paused mid-page turn. "...what's it matter to you?"

Kuroo's smirk deepened. "Well, it doesn't, really… I was just checking to see if you're good to Yama-kun! It'd break his little _heart_ if you didn't get him something…".

"...yeah. I'm getting him something," Tsukishima told him in a flat tone, returning to his magazine.

Kuroo raised his eyebrows. "Ooh, something _nice_? Though, knowing him, he'd probably keel over with joy if you gave him one of your used tissues," he teased. Tsukishima peeled his eyes off his magazine to deliver a stinging glare at Kuroo, to which Kuroo only snickered. "...although," he mused, his smirk gradually fading, "I'm not really sure what to get _my_ guy."

"He plays video games, right? Get him a new one." It may have seemed like Tsukishima was offering quality advice, but it was evident by his dry tone that he couldn't care less about the topic. Although Tsukishima wasn't looking at him, Kuroo shook his head and sighed.

"Nah, if I ask him what games he wants, he'll start thinking about it and go out and buy it himself. Happens every year on his birthday." He sighed again.

"Buy him a cat, then."

Despite Tsukishima's uninterested tone, that suggestion piqued Kuroo's interest. Dropping his arms against the back of the chair, he sat up taller and tilted his head. "...a cat? Like, a pet cat?"

"No, a big wild cat."

Kuroo stuck his tongue out at his friend's sarcasm. "Oh, shut up… Why a cat, though?"

"I don't know, you're both on Nekoma. Neko. Cats." Tsukishima's voice couldn't possibly be more monotone, but Kuroo ignored that fact. He liked what Tsukishima was saying.

"...huh… A cat… Y'know, I think he _does_ like animals... " A smile slowly crept onto Kuroo's face as he considered the idea.

Tsukishima was just about ready to tell Kuroo to either stop talking or get out of his house. "As if you could afford one."

Kuroo flapped his hand dismissively. "I'm not gonna get him a _purebred_ … They're ALWAYS giving away cats at shelters, right? As long as it doesn't have some disease, it should be fine!" His smile turned into a confident grin, and he stood up. "You're a genius, Tsukki!"

"...go home."

Meanwhile, Kenma was at the local park with Shoyo Hinata. The gray clouds overhead suggested that it would snow later on, but at the moment, the air was brisk and calm. Hinata stood on the seat of a swing, balancing himself precariously yet giddily, while Kenma sat huddled into himself on the swing beside him.

"Are you excited for Christmas, Kenma-kun?" Hinata asked cheerfully. Kenma shrugged slightly, pulling his scarf down a little so he could speak more clearly.

"...I guess so…"

" _I'm_ pretty excited, personally," Hinata remarked as he attempted to make the seat he stood on start swinging. "Kageyama is coming to my house for Christmas Eve!"

Kenma tilted his head slightly, gazing down at his knees. "Kuroo's coming to mine…"

Hinata gasped, already giving up on moving on the swing without falling. "This is you guys' first Christmas as a couple, isn't it?" Kenma gave a slight nod to his head and pulled his scarf back up to his nose. Hinata hopped onto the ground and sat normally on the swing. "Well then it has to be _really_ special, huh!"

Kenma shrugged. "...I don't know what to get him, though," he murmured after a moment of hesitation.

"Oh, man, that's the WORST feeling…" Hinata tilted his head. "I think you should get something you can both use. Like, I'm buying Kageyama a DVD set we can watch together…"

Kenma's eyes widened ever-so-slightly. "...like, a multi-player game…"

"Exactly!"

But something about that didn't feel quite right to Kenma. Maybe the fact that video games were more so his thing, not Kuroo's… He wanted to get his boyfriend something more long-term. "...or maybe… A pet."

"A pet?" Hinata tilted his head, confused. "Like… A dog?"

Kenma gave a slight shake to his head. "No, Kuroo is more of a cat person, I think…"

Hinata pursed his lips. "Hmm, he seems it, yeah..."

"...I'm going to get him a cat," he decided quietly yet certainly.

Hinata turned to his friend and grinned. "That's such a cute idea! He'll love it, Kenma-kun!" If Kenma's cheeks weren't already red with cold, he would have blushed.

Unbeknownst to each other, Kuroo and Kenma headed out in pursuit of the presents for one another the day before Christmas Eve. While Kuroo spent the week browsing shelter sites for a local one that seemed to have quality cats, Kenma waited until the designated day to see what cats were at the nearest pet store.

The cat Kuroo had decided upon ahead of time was… not exactly the _prettiest kitty_. It was a three-year-old tabby that was missing a big chunk out of one of his ears and blind in one eye. But, the shelter website said he was an affectionate, easygoing type of cat, and Kuroo figured Kenma would love him. Plus, all cats three years or older were free during the holiday season. When he arrived at the shelter to pick the cat up, he was sitting quietly in the back corner of his cage, watching passerby with his one good eye. It was, actually, rather creepy. Yet, the moment Kuroo took the grungy little cat into his arms, it began to purr.

The pet store Kenma went to had no adult cats; only kittens. He didn't find this to be a problem, though, as he immediately came across the perfect kitten: a little white one curled up alone in the middle of her cage, its expression resembling a smaller, cuter version of Kuroo's menacing smirk. The kitten's cold demeanor was probably a bad sign… But Kenma had fallen in love with her. He bought the quiet ball of white fur using the money he had saved up for a new video game (which caused him great pain; but he loved Kuroo enough to do this for him).

Just as Kenma had told Hinata, Kuroo arrived at the Kozume household the following evening for Christmas dinner. He showed up a little early, with the intent of exchanging presents with his boyfriend before dinner, so the cat didn't have to wait in the stuffy cardboard box he had brought him in. Meanwhile, the kitten that Kenma had bought waited for him upstairs in the carrier that the pet store had provided him with.

"Sooo Kenma," Kuroo began as he made himself comfortable on the sofa. "What d'you say we exchange our presents right now?"

"Oh, um… Sure," Kenma agreed, peeling his eyes off of the box he had absently been staring at. He glanced off to the side. "Just let me get yours…" With that, he hurried up the stairs, and returned with the carrier hidden behind his back.

"Let's swap on three," Kuroo decided as he stood, placing one hand atop his cardboard box. Kenma nodded; his heart was beginning to beat faster as he wondered how Kuroo would feel about his gift. "One…."

"...two…"

"Three," they said together. On the same second, Kuroo peeled back the flaps of the box while Kenma timidly held the carrier out in front of him. The proud smirk on Kuroo's face faded as quickly as it had appeared.

"...uh… Kenma… What's that?"

A light blush rose to Kenma's cheeks. He avoided Kuroo's gaze. "...um… It's a kitten… D...do you, not like it…?" he murmured hesitantly.

Kuroo slowly shook his head. "Nah, nah, I totally like it… It's just that…" The grin slowly returned to Kuroo's face as he leaned his box closer to Kenma.

"...oh, my goodness…" Now Kenma was smiling, too; an amazed, baffled sort of smile. Then they both laughed at the absolute irony of the situation.

"Wanna hold 'im? He's kind of scruffy, but he's the nicest cat you'll ever meet," Kuroo assured him once they calmed down a bit. Kenma nodded quickly, handing off the carrier to Kuroo and reaching into the box. Carefully, Kenma slipped his hands around the cats ribs and lifted him into his arms. The cat gazed at him curiously.

"...hi, cutie…" Kenma whispered, gently removing one hand so he could scratch the cat behind the ears. A purr immediately rose from within the cat's chest, and he leaned into Kenma's touch lovingly. "You hold yours, too…" Kenma suggested, smiling adoringly at the messy but happy kitty in his arms.

Taking his eyes off the adorable image before him, Kuroo nodded and set the carrier on the ground, crouching so as to unlatch the door. Inside, the white kitten was cowering uncertainly in the back of the carrier. "Aw, no need to be scared, little buddy… I may look pretty scary, but I won't hurt you…" Kuroo reached into the carrier; the kitten hissed offensively in response. Kuroo briefly withdrew his hand. "Yeesh, feisty, are ya…"

"She's just scared, she's very sweet once you hold her…" Kenma promised nervously. He already adored the cat in his arms; he would feel awful if Kuroo hated the cat he had given him.

But Kuroo didn't seem very cowed by the hiss. "She's just a little bitter, like me!" he joked. He stuck his hand back in, ignoring the kitten's feeble spitting and scooping her out into her hand. "Aw, see, you're not so big and tough, huh…" Kuroo cooed, smirking gently as he stood up and held the kitten close. With a pathetic mewl, the kitten clung to his shirt like velcro.

"So, do you like 'im?" Kuroo asked as Kenma tickled his cat under the chin.

"...he's perfect…" Kenma gazed lovingly down at his cat, and in return the cat stared back at him with mutual affection sparkling in his beady black eye. It was almost like he was smiling. "...I want to name him Kuro. Because… It's like Kuroo, but a little different…"

Kuroo blinked, tilting his head slightly, then grinned. "In that case, I'll call mine 'Shiro.' She's white, _and_ it goes with 'Kuro.'" He laughed as the kitten scrambled up to his shoulder, burrowing her little face in the crook of his neck.

Kenma nodded. "...do you like her, then…?"

" _Love_ her," Kuroo insisted, running one hand over the kitten's tiny body while the other supported her from below. "...but you know who I love more?"

Kenma's heart beat louder in his chest as he realized where Kuroo was going with this. "...um…"

" _You_." Removing his hand from Shiro (as she had a tight enough grip on his shirt that she wouldn't fall off), Kuroo took Kenma's face in both of his hands and gazed at him sensually for a few seconds, before leaning down and giving him a passionate kiss on the lips.

"...I love you, too, Kuroo…" Kenma squeaked as they pulled away, their noses still touching, his cheeks red and Kuro snuggled comfortably in his arms.

Kuroo chuckled warmly at Kenma's dazed expression. "Merry Christmas, Kenma."

"Yes, Merry Christmas…" Kenma hesitated a moment before standing on his toes and giving Kuroo a second peck on the lips.

The two cats meowed in unison, as if bidding a "Merry Christmas" to their new owners themselves.


End file.
